The present invention relates generally to the field of tape cartridge libraries, and more specifically to identifying tape cartridge labels within a library.
Tape libraries are devices that provide storage for large amounts of data. Tape libraries are a cost-effective solution for large scale data storage, and also provide systematic access to large data quantities. In tape libraries, each tape is labeled in some manner to enable easy identification of each tape cartridge. For example, a bar code label may contain a volume serial number (VOLSER) that is human-readable, as well as a bar code that can be read electronically. These labels may be produced by a number of various vendors and placed manually on the cartridge by a client. Tape libraries are typically used as backups and as the final stages of digital archiving.